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Category Archives: How-to

It just so happened that this cracked nail I did a nail wrap on about 3 weeks ago, just cracked again. So, since I needed to remove the gel on the nail and do another nail wrap, I thought I’d kill two birds with one stone and dedicate some blog posts to removal and nail wraps.

I have clients all the time telling me they cracked their nails, or that they are ripping from the sides. Some will leave it for me to figure the best option. But others will feel so desperate, they do their own painful little surgery and cut the nail down! OUCH! Most of the time, the crack is so far down on the nail bed, it would hurt to cut, bleed, and can ultimately cause infections. If you are the type to panic ands cut your nails in desperation. But don’t have time or money to go to the salon, try doing a nail wrap yourself. This video is a step-by-step how-to on applying nail wraps (a.k.a. Fabric or Silk Wraps).

You can apply polish, gel polish, gel enhancement, or acrylic enhancements after applying a nail wrap to the cracked nail. Just be sure to buff the surface and free it from any oils and debris before you paint.

This video is the first one I have ever done of its kind– so bear with me! I’m nervous and not yet quite comfortable. I’m sorry, if I am rambling or stumbling on my words (I already noticed & must warn you, I say: “just,” “kinda,” and “like” a lot). I also really suck at editing. Super rough splicing. I’m also working on trying to get a better angle so you can see everything I’m doing better. Sorry, it’s a bit of a long vid– I’ll try to incorporate the “fast forward” feature next time.

I hope to post a video at least once a month, so hopefully a few more tries and I’ll be an expert! Ha!

Things You Will Need:

Buffer Block 180 – 240 grit

Orangewood stick

180 – 240 grit (med – soft) file

Cotton

Nail Brush

NON-acetone polish remover

Brush-on resin / nail glue

Fabric (fiberglass, linen, or silk

Scissors

Base & Top Coat (and polish if you choose)

The extra 100 grit file (the white one) is for filing the orangewood stick. To shape, sharpen, and clean it. It is not necessary for a nail wrap, but you should have in general.

**All but the fabric can be purchased at your local drugstore. Fabric can be found online.
Let’s begin! Click the link below:

We love when our polishes last long, or the longevity of the gel enhancements and gel polishes, but after a while, it’s just time to break up with our polishes. Out with the old, and in with the new! But like real relationships, some polishes and enhancements can be really stubborn and unwilling to part with you in conventional ways. This post is dedicated to nail enhancement and stubborn polish removals. Don’t waste any more time or money, and learn how to quickly break up with your polishes.

One of the greatest things about glitter and hologram polishes is they stay on! One of the bad things about glitter polishes? They stay on! Glitter just never seems to want to come off. I’m sure many of us have gone through swabs and swabs of cotton and bottles of polish remover just to remove our beloved glitter polishes. Well, never fear! I’ll share with you my tips and tricks for removing the most stubborn polishes.

Now, for another type of removal…
Gel polishes and gel nail enhancements are becoming more and more popular. But, how the heck do we remove them?! Just like acrylic nail enhancements, you can’t just use regular polisher remover to take them off. And, you should NEVER, EVER peel your enhancements off!!! But, the procedure is very simple and easy to do. Doing the removal yourself can save you some money, than having them taken off at a salon.

Things your will need:

100% pure acetone

Cotton

Squares / rectangular pieces of foil

100 grit (a very coarse) file

Buffer block

(If you are re-applying an enhancement or polish) Nail brush

**All items can be purchased at your local drugstore.

I know these “how-to” demos weren’t exciting has a “how-to” on nail art, but safe removal of nail enhancements and polishes are very important. You can seriously damage a nail but removing products the wrong way.

Electric drills can cause over filing and can cause permanent damage to your natural nail. Peeling off nail enhancements will peel of layers of your natural nail and can seriously damage, weaken, and thin out your nails.

Not only should you be careful when doing removals yourself, but also if you are getting enhancements removed at a salon. Many discount salons don’t have lice send technicians who are properly trained, and will do things quickly and brash. They are not always doing what’s best for you or your nail– so be careful!

I hope this post was helpful and educational! I have a video demo coming up later on. So stay tuned!